Insulated cushion steel tif



T..E.VAUGHN.

INSULATED GUSHIONl STEEL TIE.

APPLIQATION FILED SEPT. 24, 1910.

Patented Feb. 20, 1912.

UNITED STATES PATENT oFFicF.

THOMAS E; VAUGHN, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

INSULATED CUSHION STEEL TIE Specication of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 2o, 1912.

Application led September 24, 1910. j Serial No. 583,556.

To all who/m t may concern:

Be it known that I, THOMAS E. VatGHN, a citizen of the United States,residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, haveinvented a certain new and useful Improvement in Insulated Cushion SteelTies, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to metallic or steel ties.

The objects of this -invention are to produce a tie which will beconstructed so as to resist the stresses to which it is subjected whenon the track, which will possess all the desirable characteristics of awooden tie as to cushioning and insulation features, and which isconstructed so as to be retained in position by the ballast.

Further objects will appear from the detail description taken inconnection with the` accompanyingl drawings in which:

Figure l shows a longitudinal part sec` tion, Fig. 2 a plan view, Fig. 3a sectionalong the line 3-3 of Fig. 1. Fig. l a section along the line 44 of Fig. 2, and Fig. 5 a detail of the bearing cushion in sideelevation.

The tie consists essentially of side members connected and braced bycross members or brace plates so as to form a braced skeleton structure.The endsof the tie are con` structed to receive cushion blockspreferably of wood for the purpose of supporting the rails on the tie.The brace plates yin addi tion to performing their function as bracingmeans of the skeleton structure also perform the function of retainingand .securing the cushion blocks in position on the tie.

One of these brace plates is movable so as to the side members byrivetspassingk through the. flanges of the plates and through the websofthe side members. -The outside plates however are movably-secured tothe side niembers',vandiin the 'specific construction sliown theseplates are pivotally secured at their lower ends to the side members byrivets passing through the lower ends of the flanges on the plates andthrough' the webs of the side members. The upper lends of the plates arearranged to be seicured in position by bolts- B2 passing through holes Bin the flanges and webs of the plates and side members respectively. Theplates B andB are inclined, one plate of each pair being inclined towardthe other to form .together a substantially dove-tailed recess adaptedto receivera similarly shaped cushion block C which rests upon a plate,C on the 'flanges A of the side members. This cushion block is arrangedto be inserted or removed by removing the bolts B2 and swinging theplate B to dotted position Fig. l. VAfter theplate B is again boltedinplace, the plates B and B will retain the cushion block in positionagainst both longitudinal and transverse movements. They cushion blockas positioned in the tie projects slightly above the anges so as tosupport the rail thereon out of contact With the metal rail body. Therail is preferably' reissuedv Oct. 3l, 1911. This rail support l plate Dis secured on the cushion block by mea-ns of the lag screws D', and the,plate is provided with upwardly extending lips D2 adapted to be turnedover the ianges of a rail D3 inserted therebetween as shown in thedrawings, and as`fully-described in the ,patent referred to.

It will thus be seen that the invention accomplishes its objects. Atieis produced which will have maigimum strength with minimum Weight ofmaterial. The tie Vis a braced skeleton structurefin which the cross orbrace plates perform not only the function of bracing and strengtheningrmeans, but also the function of retaining the Gushion blocks inpos-i-tion.. These retaining means therefore ldo not detract fromgibutrather add tof the strength of the completed tie. The entire `tie asbuilt up is constructed to withstand the bending and twisting stressesto which it is subjected lwhen in .useon the rail bed. The ballastcanwork up yinto the hollow tie and above the flanges A as shown in Fig. 3so as to eflcientl-y hol-dA the tie in position on the road bed. The

cushion blocks transmit the Weight to the tie and form insulating blocksto insulate the rails from the road bed and thus leave the railsunimpaired for signaling purposes.

It is obvious that. various changes may be made in the detailsofconstruction Without departing from this invention, and it istherefore to be understood that this invention is not to be limited tothe specific construction shown and described.

Having thus described'the invention what is claimed is:

i l. A metallic tie of channel form having vertical webs, brace platessecured to and connecting said Webs to forma braced skeleton structure,said brace plates being located in pairs, one pair at each endoi saidtie, to form cushion receiving recesses, and cushion blocks located insaid recesses. the brace plates vof a pair being inclined one toward theother, and one brace plate of each pair being movable, to removablyretain said cushion blocks against longitudinal and transverse movementswith respect to the tie.

2. A metallic tie comprising side members veach consisting of ayvertical web and a 'flange extending laterally and inwardly from saidweb, brace plates secured to said Webs and connecting said sidemembersto form a braced skeleton struct-ure, said brace plates being located inpairs, one pair at each end of said tie to form cushion receivingrecesses, and cushion blocks located in said recesses and resting onsaid flanges, the brace plates ofa pair being inclined one toward theother anclgengaging the ends oia cushion block to retain the cushionblocksngainst longitudinal and transverse movement with respect to thetie.

A metal. tie comprising side plates having inwardly extending flangesalong their bottom edges at right angles to said plates, rail carryingcushions mounted upon said flanges at either end and having angularends, spacing channels in opposition to said' ends and connecting saidplates, some of said channels pivotally mounted with means for holdingthem in posit-ion.

4. A metal tie comprising side plates, in-

wardly extending flanges along their bottom edges7 rail carrying`cushions mounted upon said flanges at either end and having angularends, spacing channels in opposition to said angular ends and rigidlycarried by the side plates, together with spacing channels at the endsof the tiiin opposition to said cushion and rotatively mounted upon theside plates.

5. A tie comprising a metallic body hav ing spacing members andinsulating cushions held in position by said spacing niembers, one ofsaid spacing members pivotally mounted. i

THOMAS E. VAUGHN Witnesses:

FRANCIS W. PARKER, Jr., SOPHIE B. WERNER.

